Last Week: 7-7
Not a great start, but I did really well in the late games and the night ones, so I am on a little bit of a run.
Just a load of really bad teams this week. The main problem is this year there are just a ton of really bad teams, like poke-out-your-eyes-so-you-don't-have-to-watch-them-anymore bad. Look at St. Louis, is there one unit, just one, that is better than the same unit on the Giants. Any, just one; the answer is no. There is just a huge talent disparity, and that is amazing in a league that has a strict salary cap and free agency and all that shit. Anyway, here are the games:
Minnesota (-10) @ St. Louis
Minnesota won me over last Monday Night. Not, Brett Favre mind you, but the team. They have WR and that defense is really, really good. Now, it might mean that Green Bay is ass awful at blocking (which they are), but still that team can play defense with the best of them. Since this is September, Brett Favre has yet to tear anything yet, which he inevitably will since the guy is 40. St. Louis is just awful. It hurts me, since I like Steve Spagnoulo, cause he deserves better. He probably could have gotten a different team, but I, and the boys at Football Outsiders, thought they would be better. I am scared that this team won't win a game.
Vikings 30 Rams 14 (MIN)
Dallas (-8) @ Kansas City
Tons of home underdogs, and mainly becuase they are the bottom dwellers of the league (KC, STL, DET). The difference between this game and the last one is that I just don't think Dallas is not any good. I mean, when you can have a QB that can't count to four (and shut up, Tony, you thought it was 3rd down), and decides to throw, not only at Champ Bailey, but at Sam Fucking Hurd, you can't be trusted seriously. I mean, If TO was still a Cowboy, he might have just killed Tony Romo on the spot after those Sam Hurd throws. Kansas City has not looked like a proffessional football team, but playing at Arrowhead helps. This team, although they score in garbage time, kept the Giants game within 11. The G-Men, in my book, are a decent amount better than the Cowboys, so I feel that the Chiefs will cover, but since they cannot beat University of Florida at this point.
Cowboys 24 Chiefs 20 (KC)
Washington @ Carolina (-4)
As I pointed out in the power rankings, the Redskins might be the worst 2-2 team of all time. Jason Campbell looks like a guy that has lost it, and that organization is a mess. If you don't know the story, the Skins hire a guy that was calling out bingo numbers (not a joke... seriously, stop laughing... he called out Bingo numbers) to be an "offensive consultant" without even telling head coach Jim Zorn. The other rumor was that Jim Zorn was fired, without the team telling him. Carolina, they may be 0-4, but they still feel like an average team, and in 2009, an average team is probably like 18th in the power rankings. DeAngelo Williams is still playing at a high level, and Jake Delhomme has looked bad the last two weeks (which is about 1 trillion times better than what he was playing before), so there's improvement.
Redskins 10 Panthers 27 (CAR)
Tampa Bay @ Philadelphia (-15)
I think that the Bucs are proving that it might not be the best idea to hire an unknown 32 year old guy. It may have worked for Josh McDaniels (and I still don't trust that team), but Raheem Morris seems totally inept, and I don't blame him. The guy is 32. Brett Favre is eight years older than him. Peyton Manning is older than him. There are certain types of mold growing on my carpet in this dorm that are older than him. Not good, Tampa, not good. To me, it does not matter whether Kolb or McNabb play, they are light years better than Tampa. What scares me is that 15 is alot of points, but Philly has a pattern of bushwhacking bad teams at home early in the year (2007 - PHI 56 DET 35, 2008 - PHI 35 STL 0).
Buccaneers 14 Eagles 38 (PHI)
Oakland @ New York (n) (-15)
They probably could have made this line 25 and no one would bet on Oakland. What made me nearly off myself was thinking that David Carr could start this game and not be the worst #1 pick playing. I am still waiting for some deranged Oakland fan in a Darth Vader suit to just beat JaMarcus to death with a fake light-sabre. Whenever that does happen, I want camera's there, and I will be, as TO would say, "gettin my popcorn ready." The Giants are a really, really good team. They just get to job done, and the job here is just not that hard. Oakland is going cross country, so there is the jetlag/hungover problem. Not a good situation. I had a chance to go see this game, but since I would rather watch ants devour an apple in the park, I said no.
Raiders 10 Giants 28 (NYG)
Cleveland @ Buffalo (-6)
This is one of the few games where both teams are equally boring, bad and utterly unwatchable. Why would anyone watch this game? I mean, is there any more QB matchup less interesting than Trent "I need a restraining order against TO" Edwards and Derek "Why is that fat tub of shit ordering me around on the sidelines" Anderson? No, no there is not. So there is no point of even going over this game.
Browns 16 Bills 20 (BUF)
Cincinnatti @ Baltimore (-8.5)
I like this game, even moreso since there are about two other reasonably good games this week for this to run against. Cincinnatti is a physical team now, and they have the ability to go into Baltimore and play a grind-it-out game against the Ravens. The Cincinnatti defense is good enough to contain Baltimore. Baltimore did not impress me last week against the Pats. They could have easily won that game, but it seemed like the needed big plays to move the ball. They only had one long drive, and even that was built on weird third down conversion type things. I like the Bengals to continue making waves in the NFL, and especially in the AFC North.
Bengals 24 Ravens 21 (CIN)
Pittsburgh (-10.5) @ Detroit
Matt Stafford may not play, and I am not a believer about some supposed "injury". The real reason is that Stafford does not want to play against the Steelers, and I don't blame him. If anyone remembers Super Bowl XL, Detroit is basically Pittsburgh 2.0. The Steelers look to be strong after last week, and are probably steamed after people clamoring about the supposed "comeback" by the Chargers. That was not a comeback, and in this game, there will be no garbage time points. I still like the Steelers in this division, and the run starts here.
Steelers 27 Lions 7 (PIT)
Atlanta @ San Francisco (-2.5)
To me, both these teams are the same. They both play "physical football" are led by slightly overrated QB's (I mean, what has Matt Ryan done for some people to consider him a top-5 QB), very overrated running games, and solid defenses that can hold down bad teams. This is a mirror image game, however, San Fran is very good at home, and Shaun Hill just wins games. Not much to say about this game, but at least it does not feature any shitty teams, which this week is a major, major plus. Atlanta is off a bye though, and I think that the Falcons want to show up after they dropped a duece in Foxboro.
Falcons 27 49ers 23 (ATL)
New England (-3) @ Denver
I don't know what to think about Denver. If they played even one good team, and beat them (they did not beat Cincinnatti. Honestly, I have no idea what you are talking about), I would give them more credit. New England still has not impressed me, and this seems to be alot like the 2006 Pats, a team that would never impress, but still end up statistically good, but flawed and primed to lose in January. If the Pats and Ravens played tomorrow, especially if it were in Baltimore, i would pick the Ravens again. Historically, Belichick has owned his proteges, mainly because his proteges are not as versed in filming techniques as Bill is (I kid, I kid). This is where the slide starts for Denver.
Patriots 24 Broncos 17 (NE)
Houston @ Arizona (-5.5)
I love this game. I really do, an unhealthy amount. This is probably the greatest fantasy game of the year, and for me (who has at least two of the Texan/Cardinal combo in each team) this game is must-see TV. I still believe in Houston. They easily could have beaten Jacksonville but had the fumble in the endzone stuff. Arizona I still believe in..... to make it to 8-8. I cannot believe the Cards are favored by more than even four. That should never happen, until they play the Rams. Either way, take the Over.
Texans 38 Cardinals 31 (HOU)
Jacksonville @ Seattle (-1)
Seattle is a tough place to play for anybody, but especially for a team that is not used to even a 60% full stadium (40,000 last week against an division rival). They will be shocked by what actual cheering sounds like. I have heard that Hasselbeck is playing, which makes this line even more absurd. Seattle can play football. especially at home. If you look two weeks ago, they nearly beat Chicago after starting Seneca Wallace, and more importantly wearing vomit jerseys (vomit colored and vomit inducing). Seattle still has a chance at that division, since I feel that the niners will come down to earth.
Jaguars 14 Seahawks 24 (SEA)
Indianapolis (-4) @ Tennessee
Tennessee will be pumped for this game, since this is their season. However, that logic does not gel with me, since they were pumped up last week and that game was their season and they proceeded to be slaughtered like a plump lamb. This is not a good team. Kerry Collins deal with the Devil was a one year deal, and that defense has become a seive. Obviously, seeing as the Redskins suck, Albert Haynesworth is not that important, so I really don't see how this happened. Peyton Manning is playing at a level only seen in Madden. It is getting ridiculous. I feel that he will not cross the 300 yard mark, but will still have a damn good game. Although I think the Colts will end up as the best team and Tennessee is done, Tennessee does get up for the Colts, so this game will be close.
Colts 31 Titans 23 (IND)
New York (a) (-2) @ Miami
I have a weird feeling about this game. This will be a tough environment for Mark Sanchez which he does not handle well, seeing after last week. Miami is not terrible, and I don't think that the drop-off from Pennington to Henne is that much. The Wild-Cat has been shut down by Rex Ryan's Baltimore teams last year, so there is not much there, but I just have a weird feeling. I think I deserve one weird feeling game a week.
Jets 17 Dolphins 20 (MIA)
Enjoy week 5 (it may be hard, seeing the games, but try).
